Tautening device for ironing-board covers



Sept. 7, 1943. E. M. COBB 2,329,108

TAU'I'ENING DEVICE FOR IRONING-BOARD COVERS Filed Sept. 8, 1941 All v I 4 252C 1 INVE'N To R Ebner M. 001 1.

Patented Sept. 7, 1943 TAUTENIN'GDEVIGE FOR monrneenolnm I -oovislts I E m r M Cobb, S nta Fe, .N. Mes.- "Application September 8, 1941, Serial No.'41(l,017

3 claims;

"Elie invention hereinafter to be described re lates, in general terms to tautening devices, but in the present instance deals morelspecificallywith an appliance by means of which the cloth cover for an ironing-board can be maintainedv and distributed on the under side and along the length of the board.

Various methods and means have, from time to time been devised, seeking a solution of the problem as to the best way to keep the cover in order; but to the best of my knowledge none have qualified as being a perfectly satisfactory affair.

In my present conception, I employ a helicallywound spring, on each end of which, and integrally formed therewith, is a loop. -Making connection with each of these loops is a specially designed element which I call a coupler.

The coupler has on its outer end a double claw hook the ends of which are sharply pointed so as to readily pierce the skirt portions of the ironing-board cover.

A handle member is provided with which to manipulate said coupler or device when attaching it to or detaching it from the cover.

One coupler operates on one of the aprons or vention, I have prepared the accompanying,

drawing in which like reference characters are employed to identify similar parts in all the different views.

In the drawing: r

Fig. 1 is a transverse sectional view of an ironing-board and ironing-board cover, with one of my tautening couplers or devices mounted thereon;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, inverted plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of my preferred design or form of coupler unit;

Figs. 4 and 5 represent, respectively, the form of the coupler wire after the two preliminary operations have been performed on it.

Referring to Fig. l of the drawing, an ironing-board I-B is shown'in transverse sectional elevation, and mounted thereon is an iro'ning board cover C having laterally overhanging and underlying skirt or apron portions Ca by which interconnection with the tautening devices is On the under side of the ironing-board, and spaced along its length at predetermined inetervals, D, are a plurality of the tautening devices constituting my present invention.

The device embodies a helically wound spring I with integrally formed loops la on each end.

Interconnecting each loop Ia with one of the skirt portions Cu is a coupler unit A, made from a single strand of wire 2.

The ends of the wire are firstsharply pointed, as shown in Fig. 4 and then bent to the double wire formation shown in Fig. 5.

Thereafter the shape contemplates a doublewire construction.

The coupler has a double-wire loop 2a on its inner end by which connection is made to the loop la, on the spring I.

On the outer end of the coupler A the pointed wires 2b are separated, and 'eachbent to constitute an element in a double-claw hook structure serving as the attaching means for securing the coupler to the skirt Ca. of the cover (3.

A handle 20 depends from the body portion of the coupler and is employed in mounting the device on the ironing-board, and demounting it therefrom.

In Fig. 3 the wires are twisted together, making the structure stiffer, and the two claw hooks less likely to become accidentallydeformed. It also tiesthe two strands, forming loop 2a together,

.' making it practically impossible to dislodge the device from the'spring I.

It will be further observed, by reference to Fig. 1 that, when the parts'are under tension, the return bends forming the crotch portions 2d of the claw hooks 2b and the center line of the loops 2a are in substantially horizontal alignment, and that the hooks are so shaped that the tendency of the draft on the aprons is to pull them into the 'crotches of the hooks, thereby insuring against their dislodgement from the ironingboard cover.

The operation involved in mounting or demounting the required number of tauteners on or from the ironing-board cover is extremely simple.

By using the handles, which are an integral part of the couplers, one of the latter is attached end portion of the shank, said shank havin di-.

verging limbs at its opposite end and said limbs terminating in individual anchoring and sustaining hooks, said latter hooks being in the form of" return bends pointed in directions opposite to said first-named hook and overlying said limbs, whereby to provide two hooks on one side and a single hook on the other side of the shank in-the manner and for the purposes described.

f 2. As a new article of manufacture, a device of the class described comprising a multiple, hook unit, said unit embodying a shank provided at one end with a hook for attachment to a coil spring or the like, the bill of said hook underlying one end portion of the shank, said shank having diverging limbs at its opposite end and said limbs terminating in individual claw-like anchoring and sustaining hooks, said latter hooks being in the form of return bends pointed in directions opposite to said first-named hook and overlying said limbs, and a finger hook, the latter being attached to the bill portion of the first-named hook and underlying the intermediate portion of the shank.

3, A device of the class described comprising a single length of ,wire bent upon itseltmidway between its ends to provide duplicate limbs, the terminals of the free ends of the limbs being pointed, intermediate portions of the limbs being twisted about each other to form a rigid shank, said free lends at one end of the shank diverging and havingthe. pointed terminals being fashioned into return bends defining claw-like anchoring hooks, the opposite middle bend of the wire constituting an eye, .that portion inwardly of the eye being bent to form a finger hook, said finger hook underlying the twisted-shank, and that portionof the limbs between the shank and finger hook being bent upon itself to form an additional eyelike hook for attachment or the like.

; ELMER M. COBB.

to one end of a Sp 

